Barbel Winter (Public Officer)Barbel is the Managing Director of futures Upfront, a company working to build inclusive communities. Barbel has more than 20 years’ experience in the community sector, including working for over 10 years as the Executive Director at the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW. Following working as the Regional Manager for CCS Disability Action in New Zealand and seeing there what individualised funding can do, Barbel is excited about the opportunities individualisation and the NDIS may offer to people with disability and families.

She is currently conducting significant chunks of work for My Choice Matters, the NSW consumer development fund. This work included in the last 18 months meeting over 1600 people with disability and their families and assisting them to get ready for the NDIS. Barbel started her career in disability setting up self- help groups from people with brain injury across NSW.

Barbel has a MBA from Southern Cross University, Masters in Education (Adult Ed.) from University of Technology, Sydney and a BA (Hons) in Social Work and Social Policy, University of Sydney. Barbel is also an alumni of Social Leadership Australia and the School of Social Entrepreneurs.